


more than friends

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Soldier Enhancement Program, Soldier Enhancement Program Era, hurt comfort, pre fall of overwatch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:39:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They stared at each other for a long time. They fought with themselves internally. They wondered if they could reach out and brush fingers against a wrist. They wondered if the other thought they were a little more than friends, too.But..friends. That’s what they had always been. For years now. Jack couldn’t lose that. His friend.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	more than friends

Soldier 17 had begun to exhibit worrisome symptoms. 

The occasional vomiting and chills that escalated to not being able to keep food down and not being able to stay asleep. 

Soldier 17 went to the nurse and never came back. 

Soldier 17 was Jack’s roommate, but all Jack could think about was Soldier 24. 

Specifically, if Soldier 24 would end up like Soldier 17.

He knew Gabriel was strong. But so was everyone else in the SEP. And people were dying - perfectly healthy, stable people. 

So Jack stared at the ceiling for a long time, thinking about Soldier 24, as he did. He eventually dragged himself out of bed and threw on a shirt, wandering down the hall to Gabriel’s room. Walking the path to his room had become an act of muscle memory. He knocked gently and felt a spike of anxiety. What if Gabriel didn’t come to the door? What if he forced the door open and found Gabriel passed out on the ground? What if-

The door opened and Gabriel smiled at him and all of Jack’s worries melted away, just for a moment. 

“Hey, Jackie. How’re you holding up?”

Jack didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t really know the answer. 

“Can I come in?”

Gabriel frowned a nervous frown but stepped aside. “Of course.”

When Gabriel closed the door behind him, Jack spun around and spit out the ugly truth.

“I’m scared,” he said, and his voice sounded like a frightened whimper, like a child seeing something big and scary. “I don’t want to die.” He met Gabriel’s eyes and hated the look of pity he saw. “I mean..I was prepared to die before. But not now. I really have the chance to make a difference now and I don’t want to die and lose that.” Gabriel opened his mouth to speak but Jack kept speaking, an uncharacteristic action for him. “And I don’t want you to die.” There was a beat of silence. Jack wondered if he should stop talking. He didn’t. “I don’t want to lose you, either.”

They stared at each other for a long time. They fought with themselves internally. They wondered if they could reach out and brush fingers against a wrist. They wondered if the other thought they were a little more than friends, too. 

But..friends. That’s what they had always been. For years now. Jack couldn’t lose that. His friend. 

Jack broke eye contact. “I’m sorry.” He stared at the foot of Gabriel’s bed. “I shouldn’t have said all of that.”

And the worst part about it was that Gabriel couldn’t comfort Jack. He wanted to take Jack in his arms and tell him _it’ll be alright, we’ll be safe. I promise you won’t lose me._ But that was all bullshit and they both knew it. There weren’t any guarantees. They could feel fine one day and be dead the next. They hardly even knew what was being pumped into their blood. 

But god, he wanted to take Jack in his arms. He’d cut the crap but he wanted to hold him. Especially with Jack wearing that miserable look on his face. Gabriel wanted to do everything in his power to see him smile again. 

“You wanna stay here tonight?” Gabriel asked. Jack’s eyes went wide and Gabriel mistook his look of intrigue for something like anxiousness, hesitation. “Only if you want to,” he added quickly. “Sometimes it helps to cuddle the shit away.”

Jack snorted and the corner of his lips turned up and Gabriel’s chest felt warm. “Yeah,” Jack said. “That actually sounds really nice.”

“Alright, sap.” Gabriel looped an arm around his waist, walking him to his bed. 

“You’re the one who said we should ‘cuddle the shit away’.”

“ _That actually sounds really nice_ ,” Gabriel said in an overdramatized lovey-dovey voice, leaning against Jack’s shoulder. Jack jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. 

“Shut up. You know you love me.”

Gabriel fell onto his back on the bed but not before grabbing Jack’s hips and pulling him with him. Jack tumbled back onto Gabriel’s chest, letting out a stifled laugh. _Stifled_ laugh. The guy was still trying to act all serious and that had to change. 

Gabriel, being an expert on Jack’s body (in the least weird way possible), knew that Jack was ridiculously sensitive to light touch. (There may have been an incident. With lots of alcohol. And a hand sliding up Jack’s shirt. And very loud, high pitched laughter that made everyone in the room turn their heads. Jack didn’t like to talk about it.)

And so it may have been crossing a line just a tad but Gabriel slid a hand between Jack’s thighs and Jack squeaked and turned his head, squeezing Gabriel’s hand between his legs and letting out _the_ cutest laugh Gabriel had ever heard right into Gabriel’s ear. 

Jack’s face was pressed into the crook of Gabriel’s neck and he laughed for a while until the only sound was their slow breathing. Gabriel let his hand slide up the side of Jack’s leg and over the bump of his hip while Jack threw an arm around Gabriel’s torso. Jack had turned so he was sort of sideways, sort of on his chest with Gabriel’s thigh slotted between his legs. 

“Thank you,” Jack mumbled against his skin. “I know I can’t escape all of this. The fear.” Gabriel felt Jack’s grip on him tighten. “But sometimes it’s nice to forget. It’s nice to forget everything except for you.”

Gabriel screwed his eyes shut. Jack couldn’t _say_ things like that because it made Gabriel want to grab him and kiss him. But they were _friends_ and that’s not what friends did and Gabriel was not about to ruin the best friendship he’d ever had. 

When he opened his eyes, Jack was leaning over him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. 

But they were friends. Just friends. And-

Oh. 

Jack was kissing him. 

Gabriel kissed back. 

No. They were definitely more than friends. 


End file.
